Folding box



' APlll 7, 193.3 N. RosENTHAL 2,036,542

FOLDING BOX Filed Aug. 31, 1955 2 sheets-sheet 1 l y n April 7 1936. N. RosENTHAL y 2,035,542

FOLDING BOX Filed Aug. 3l, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. -7, 1936 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE to Rosenthal Paper Company, St.

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'corporation of Missouri yApplication Auglt 3l, 1935, Serial'No. 38,726 11 Chime. (Cl. 229,-34)

This invention relates to folding boxes of the l type wherein the ends and sides are connected by corner portions that are creased diagonally to form a bellows fold, as illustrated, for instance, by Knobeioch Patent No. 622,496 dated April 4, 1899. Boxes of this type have been extensively used and, in practice, it has been quite common to secure, as by gluing, one leaf or triangular l member of each bellows fold to the end of the box so that the raising of the ends of the box will automatically raise the sides also' and thus facil-y itate the setting up of the box. While the merits yof this old construction are obvious, it involves two diiliculties that are more `or less serious with divers sizes and materials. The first difiiculty is that the material may be too stin for the bellows fold te operate readily; and the seeond is that it is frequently dimcult to apply sufcient glue to the leaf of the corner member to insure the' proper operation of the bellows fold *without getting some of the glue onto the other leaf and thus causing it also to adhere to the end f ofthe box and thus preventing operation of the bellows fold. vThe principal object of the present invention, therefore is to overcome such Adiiiicultlesand to improve the locking devices that ,secure the box in set-up condition. 'Ihe invention consists in the parts and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein like lreference numerals refer to like-parts wherever they'occur,

Fig. 1 represents a blank suitable for the manufacture of my box, the creasing or scoring thereof being shown by dotted lines and the portions that are glued or pasted together being indicated by stippling;

y Fig. 2 represents the box in its folded or knockdown condition;

Fig. 3 is an isometric projection of the corner portion of the box after the main side and end naps have been wedged but prior to the swinging 'down of the locking flaps;

f of a box embodying a modified form oi!` locking device, Fig. 'I being a plan'view of a portion of. the blank, Fig. 8 being an isometric projection of the corner portion of the box in the course of setting up, and Fig. 9 being an isometric projection of the corner portion of the set-up box.

As shown in Fig. l, the blank comprises a single piece of pasteboard or other suitable material which is creased or scored along four parallel longitudinal lines and along six transverse lines that cross the longitudinal lines at right-angles and divide the blank into panels. The middle rectangular panel thus deiined constitutes the bottom l2 of thebox. The panels next to the long edges of the box constitute the main side naps I3 and the outer panels contiguous with saidmain side ilaps I3 constitute the inner side naps I4. These inner side iiaps I4 are folded back along their crease lines and secured ilatwise by glue or other adhesive, indicatedat l5, to the main side walls of the box.

The panels contiguous with the ends of the bottom I2 constitute the main end aps I6 of the box and the panels contiguous with the long edges of said main end flaps I6 constitute the main locking ilaps Il. The panels contiguous with the long outer edges of the main locking aps I1 constitute the bottom locking aps I8.

The main side ilaps I3 are extended beyond the bottom of the box and the main end llaps I6 are extended beyond the sides of the box, thereby forming corner members I 9 that are integral with the main sides and end iiaps of the box. The general shape of these corner members I9 is a rectangle with a notch 2li in its outer corner or with its outer edges meeting at an obtuse angle. Each of these corner members I9 has a crease or score 2| that extends diagonally outwardly from a corner of the bottom of the box. Each corner member I8 has a second diagonal crease or score 22 extending inwardly froml its edge in alinement with said last-mentioned crease. 'I'he adjacent ends of the alined creases 2|, 22 of each corner member are connected by asernicircular or arcuate slit 23 which is cut in that triangular leaf or fold 24 which is next to the main side flap i3 oi' the box. The other triangular leaf 25, together with the arcuate tongue or extension 26 formed thereon by such slit, is secured atwise to the main end flap of the box, as by glue or other adhesive indicated at 21.

In the construction illustrated, the panels constituting the inner side flaps I4 of the box have tongues or extensions 28 at their ends close to the creases that separate said panels from the panels which constitute the main side ilaps I3. When the box is set up, these tongues or extensions are close to the top of the box and are turned inwardly at right angles to the sides for the purpose of reinforcing the corners of the box. The portion of the inner side iiaps below said tongues is notched or cut enough shorter than the length of the bottom to afford spaces 40 at each end between said inner side flaps and the main end flaps of the box to receive the main locking aps. Said innerside flaps are cut narrower than the main side flaps to provide spaces 4| next to the bottom of the box to admit the bottom locking flaps between said inner side aps and the bottom of thebox. Preferably the main locking flap is as long as or slightly longer than the width of the bottom of the box so as to have its ends engage frictionally with the main side flaps. Likewise, the main locking flap is of proper width crosswise to insure the engagement of the bottom locking flap beneath the edges of the inner side flaps. In this construction, it is preferable to form creases in each inner side flap and extending obliquely from the lower edge thereof to an end edge thereof. The triangular corner portions 29 defined by the creases are left free, that is, are not glued to the main side flap, and are bent somewhat away from the main side fiaps along said creases. This arrangement facilitates the interlocking of the main and bottom locking flaps with the inner side flaps, asl

the inherent resiliency of the material* enables said corner portions'to yield to the pressure of the main locking flaps in the operation of setting up the box and to snap outwardly into locking position when the main locking flap reaches that position.

The construction illustrated in Figs. 7, 8, and 9 comprises a modified form of locking device. According to this modification, each main locking flap l1 has a rectangular tab or extension 30 at each end about midway of the height thereof, and each bottom locking flap I8 has a rectangular tab or extension 3| at each end, said tabs being defined by score lines at the ends of the body portions of the locking flaps. According to this modification, the lower corner portions of the inner side flaps are cut away to form recesses 32 for receiving these tabs. It is noted that, in the set-up position of the box, the tabs of the bottom locking flap extend upwardly while the tabs of the main locking ap extend horizontally. The tabs are so proportioned that, in the set-up position, the top of the bottom locking ap tab bears against the bottom of the main locking flap tab, which in turn fits under the top wall of the recess.

The construction hereinbefore described has important advantages. In the first place, the force required to operate the bellows folds is greatly reduced because the slits between the alined creases of the bellows folds reduces the amount of material that has to be bent. The tongues produced `by the arcuate slitting greatly increase the areas available for gluing the bellows folds to the end flaps of the box and minimize the diiculties heretofore experienced when the creases extended continuously across the corner member. The principal difficulty arises from the fact that glue is applied in a liquid condition to one leaf only of the bellows fold and such leaf is then pressed against the main end flap so that, if there is an excess of glue or of pressure or if the glue is too liquid, some glue is liable to be squeezed beyond the score line and causethe second leaf of the bellows fold to be glued to the main end flap and thus spoil the corner or prevent the smooth and easy setting up of the box.

On the other hand, if insumcient glue or insumcient pressure is used, the glue may give way to the force required to set up the box. My invention overcomes this difficulty by affording a much larger gluing surface and at the same time shortening the material that has to be bent.

The construction hereinbefore described admits of modification without departing from my invention. For instance, the shape of the tongue formed in the corner piece or of its enclosing slit may be varied considerably. In some cases, the increase in the area surface available for gluing may be the more important factor, while in other cases the length of the slit that controls the ease of `operation may be the more important factor. Likewise, while it is usually preferable to crease obliquely the lower corner portions of the inner side flaps, it may be practicable to dispense with such creases and merely bend such corners away from the main side flap without first creasing such corners, the important consideration being that the corner portions stand out from the main side flap as flexible locking devices.

Likewise, while I have described my invention as applicable to the body of the box, it is obviously equally applicable to the lid of the box and it is desired that the word box as used herein be understood as applicable equally to either body or lid.

What I claim is:

1. A folding box comprising side and end flaps and corner portions integrally connecting them `together throughout the width thereof, each of said corner portions having alined diagonal creases and a slit connecting said creases, the inner crease reaching from said slit to the innermost corner of said corner portion.

2. A folding box comprising side and end flaps and corner portions integrally connected with said side and end flaps throughout the width thereof, each corner portion having diagonally disposed creases spaced apart in alinement and a slit connecting said creases, the inner crease reaching from said slit to the innermost corner of said corner portion, whereby said corner portion is divided into two leaves, the leaf next to the end flap having a tongue integral therewith ,and the slit being in the other leaf and shaped to dene the edge of said tongue.

3. A folding box comprising side and end flaps and corner portions integrally connected with said side and end flaps throughout the width thereof, each corner portion having diagonally disposed creases spaced apart in alinement and an arcuate slit connecting said creases, the inner crease reaching from said slit to the innermost corner of said corner portion, whereby said corner portion is divided into two leaves, said slit being in the leaf next to the side flap and the tongue being integral with the leaf next to the end flap.

4. A folding box comprising side and end flaps and corner portions integrally connected with said side and end flaps throughout the width thereof, each corner portion having diagonally disposed creases spaced apart in alinement and an arcuate slit connecting said creases, the inner crease reaching from said slit to the innermost corner of said corner portion, whereby said corner portion is divided into two leaves with a tongue on'one of them, said slit being in the leaf next to the side flap and the tongue being integral 'with the leaf next to the end fiap, said last mentioned leaf together with its .tongue being adhesively secured to said end flap.

5. A folding box comprising side and end aps and corner portions integrally connected with said side and end flaps throughout the width thereof, each corner portion having diagonally disposed creases spaced apart' in alinement and a slit connecting said creases, the inner crease reaching from said slit to the innermost corner of said corner portion, whereby said corner portion is divided into two leaves. the leaf next to the end flap having a tongue integral therewith and the slit being in the other leaf and shaped to denne the edge of said tongue, said tongue and the leaf with which it is integral being adhesively secured to the end ap.

6. A folding box comprising side and end flaps and corner portions integrally connected with said side and end flaps, each corner portion having diagonally disposed creases spaced apart in alinement and a slit connecting said creases, the inner crease reaching from said slit to the innermost corner of said corner portion, whereby said corner portion is divided into two leaves, the leaf next to the end ap having a tongue integral therewith and the slit being in the other leaf and shaped to define the edge of said tongue, said tongue and the leaf with which it is integral being adhesively secured to the end ap, said side flaps having inner side ilaps integral therewith and adhesively secured to the inner faces thereof with recesses in the lower corner thereof, said end flaps having main locking naps on said end walls and bottom locking naps at the bottom of the main locking flaps, tabs on the ends of the main locking flaps adapted to ilt in the upper portions of said recesses, and tabs on the ends of said bottom locking flaps adapted to t in the lower portions of said recesses.

7. A folding box comprising side walls having integral flaps folded against and glued to the inner faces thereof with recesses in the lower corners thereof, end walls, diagonally creased corner portions integrally connecting said side and end walls, main locking flaps on said end walls and bottom locking flaps at the bottom of the main locking aps, tabs on the ends of the main locking flaps adapted to ilt in the upper portions of said recesses. and tabs on the ends of said bottom locking aps adapted to fit in the lower portions of said recesses.

8. A folding box comprising side walls having integral flaps folded against and glued to the inner faces thereof with recesses in the lower corners thereof, end flaps, diagonally creased corner portions integrally connecting said side and end naps, main locking flaps on said end flaps and bottom locking flaps at the bottom of the main locking flaps, tabs on the ends of the main locking flaps adapted to fit in the upper portions of said recesses, and tabs on the ends of said bottom locking flaps adapted to tit in the lower portions of said recesses, one leaf of each corner portion being glued to an end wall and the other leaf having a slit at the crease line forming a tongue extending from said glued leaf and itself glued to an end wall.

9. A folding box comprising double side walls, whose inner members are shorter than its outer members and fall short of the bottom of the box, double end walls whose inner members are of such length as to enter the spaces between the ends of the box and the adjacent ends 0f the inner side members, and an extension on the bottom of said inner end member of such length as to enter the spaces between the bottom edges of the inner side members and the bottom of the box, the bottom corners of the inner side mem.- bers being bent outwardly to insure interlocking of the inner end members and their extensions with said inner side members.

10. A folding box comprising a bottom portion,... side naps and end flaps integrally connected to said bottom portion, and corner portions integrally connecting said side and end flaps throughout the width thereof, the outer edges of said corner portions being substantially continuations of the outer edges of said aps. each comer portion having a diagonally disposed silt and alined diagonal creases extending from the endsof said slit to the edges of said corner portion.

11. A folding box comprising double side walls, whose inner members are shorter than its outer members and fall short of the bottom of the box, double end walls whose inner members are of such length as to enter the spaces between the ends of the box and the adjacent ends of the inner side members, and an extension on the bottom of said inner end member of such length as to enter the spaces between the bottom edges of the inner side members and the bottom of the box, the bottom corners of the inner side members being bent outwardly to insure interlocking the inner end members and their extensions with said inner side members, said box having corner portions whose outer edges are substantially in alinement with the outer edges of the double side and end walls and whose inner edges are integral with the outer members of said side and end walls, each corner portion having alined creases extending diagonally from the innermost and outermost corners and a slit connecting said creases.

NATHAN ROSENTHAL.

DISCLAIMER 2,036,542.1-Nathan Rosenthal, St. Louis County, M9.4 FOLDING Box. Patent dated- April 7, 1936. Disclaimer filed February 25, 1937, by the asslgnee, Rosenthal Paper Company.

Hereb enters this disclaimer to claims 1, 2, 3, and 10 of said Letters Patent.

[ Gazette M arch 30, 1.937.] 

